Photos recovered from drug trafficker Louis Hall's phone showed large amounts of cash. Photo / NZ Police
A drug syndicate boss who at the peak of his offending operated out of luxury Airbnbs and frittered away almost $1 million in profits at SkyCity Casino was served a lengthy lag for peddling class A and cannabis.
However, Louis Hall recently argued his sentence was excessive and succeeded in having an element of it overturned.
Hall was jailed for 12 years and six months and ordered to serve a minimum period of 40%.
At the April sentencing, Judge Kirsten Lummis wondered aloud “Would the New Zealand public think that was high enough?” before determining the answer was no.
But in a recent decision, the Court of Appeal noted the sentence was in fact “a lengthy one” and found the minimum period of imprisonment (MPI) unnecessary and that the order should not have been imposed.
With the MPI now quashed, Hall will be eligible for parole after he has served a third of his sentence. He would have waited an additional 14 months if the MPI remained.
Hall, otherwise known by the nicknames “LJ” or “BopBop”, had a leading role in an organised drug syndicate that possessed, offered to supply and supplied commercial quantities of methamphetamine, MDMA, in both powder and crystal form, “Pink Porsche” MDMA pills, and cannabis.
He directed and controlled 14 other co-defendants in the operation, which involved peddling the drugs throughout the country.
Hall and his hand-picked employees gathered at luxury Airbnbs in affluent areas, using the accommodation for storing drugs and facilitating drug deals. At his peak, the profits were pouring in so rapidly Hall was able to squander $930,000 at SkyCity Casino.
But it all came crashing down for him when police carried out an operation, dubbed Operation Escondido, in 2020 and 2021 targeting the drug syndicate and resulting in a number of arrests.
Following Hall’s arrest he was released on electronically monitored bail in November 2020. In May 2021, the police conducted a further search of his bail address and found drugs, cash and electronic devices showing ongoing drug dealing.
He pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including a representative charge of offering to supply methamphetamine punishable by up to life imprisonment.
At sentencing, Judge Lummis said there could be “no dispute” that Hall’s role was a leading one.
She recorded his strong connections with various gangs, such as the King Cobras, the Comancheros and the Head Hunters, although noted he was not a patched member and nor were those in his group.
The judge adopted a starting point of 15 years imprisonment for the meth offending and applied an uplift of three years for the remaining charges, before giving 10% credit for Hall’s guilty pleas, which were entered three days before his trial.
On appeal, defence lawyer Ron Mansfield, KC, argued the starting point for the meth offending was excessive, the uplift was excessive, the guilty plea discount was inadequate and the MPI was not required.
He said meth dealing was not Hall’s modus operandi and was “incidental” to the other dealing.
The Court of Appeal found the starting point of 15 years for the meth offending was “somewhat too high”.
“However, as we come to, taken in the round it did not result in an end sentence which was manifestly excessive.
“In our view, three years’ uplift was light given the significant quantity of drugs supplied, its commerciality and the use of Airbnb premises for packaging, storage and dealing, and the possession of an unlawful firearm.
“Collectively, the offending would have justified a four- to five-year uplift on a 13- to 14-year starting point on the lead offending, taking into account totality.”
The Court of Appeal found the guilty plea credit was appropriate but when considering the MPI, said that although the quantity of drugs involved, the commercial nature of the enterprise and Hall’s role would point towards an MPI, there were relevant personal factors.
“Mr Hall is a relatively young man (29 at the time of sentencing). Prior to this offending he had a relatively limited criminal history, the most serious offence being non-aggravated robbery for which he was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment in 2014.”
The decision said Hall also has a background of mental health issues and trauma and an addiction to meth and possibly gambling.
“We consider that the lengthy sentence imposed on Mr Hall, coupled with the statutory minimum period of four years and three months’ imprisonment is sufficient to hold him accountable for the harm done to the community by his offending. It denounces the conduct in which he was involved and is a very significant deterrent to drug-related offending.
“So far as protection of the community is concerned, the information before the judge indicated that Mr Hall had taken some steps toward rehabilitation including completing a Community Alcohol and Drugs Services course.
“We conclude that the imposition of a 40% MPI was not necessary ... ”
Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.
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